"I hope not." Indigo had barely spoken when my ears rang from an annoying pitch.
"James," Elizabeth's voice was sharp, instantly parting us. "Are you just getting in?"
"I better make like a ghost and disappear," I said, thinking, before she gets her broom. We were like two kids, snagged by the shrew who was about to lock them in her tower. On the verge of laughter, I almost fell into the guest room.
Indigo rolled his eyes. "See you soon, chica," he whispered, planting a kiss on my forehead.
I heard him say, "Good night, Mom," and listened to the snap of his door.
I wanted to dance around the room, scream to the world, but sank against a gleaming mahogany armoire, recovering my breath, my fingers caressing the ring he'd just placed on my finger.
MANHATTAN AGAIN
A salty breeze burst through the open window, filling the room with aromatic sunshine; with the help of wavering daggers, I was prodded to a semi conscious state. Grudgingly, I opened my eyes, squinting through halos of brightness. Drugged by exhaustion, for a moment my thoughts were fuzzy, and I had to scramble to remember where I was. Then reality shook me to my senses. Smiling with contentment I stretched and burrowed into the queen sized mattress, bringing my hand to my face to admire my ring.
I'd left my cell phone on the nightstand. The LCD said it was after nine. I also found his message: You're probably sound asleep right now, dreaming about me, I hope. I already miss you. -J. Sighing, I held my phone to my chest, then replied to his text: Just woke up. I'll be thinking about you while I shower. xoxo
I lounged for a few minutes, considering our plans for the day, and what I would wear. I wondered if Indigo was awake, thinking about me ... about the romantic night we'd spent in each other's arms, growing closer than I'd ever imagined.
I rolled out of bed, bundled my arms with towels, and headed for the connecting bathroom. Discarding my clothes on the floor, I stepped into the shower, luxuriating as I twirled in the stall, indulged by five surging streams of pulsing water that hit every single part of my body at once. It felt delicious. Still reeling from the night, I imagined Indigo beside me, replacing the showerheads with his hands.
I brushed my teeth, dried my hair, then rummaged through my backpack, pulling out navy shorts and a crimson top. My sandals were nowhere in sight, so I stuck my feet into a pair of running shoes and exited on tiptoes.
I looked down the hall, at the rows of white painted doors, at the peacock window exploding with sun, edged with clear blue sky.
"Sneaking around the halls?" Indigo came up behind me, squeezing my shoulders. "It's about time you showed up, sleepyhead." His breath washed across the back of my neck, followed by a trail of kisses.
I almost jumped out of my skin. "Hey!" Turning, I held my voice low. "I just woke up."
"I know that. I've been waiting for you for hours."
I sank against his chest. "You scared me."
"I'd never want to do that." He nuzzled my neck. "I thought about you the entire time ... just down the hall ... all alone in that nice soft bed. I was kinda hoping for a wakeup surprise."
"Believe me, I would have loved to ... if your mother wasn't right across the hall." I stole a peek at her closed door. Imagining her ear glued to the other side, my whisper grew fainter than a breeze, "I thought about you too," I gazed into the intensity of his eyes, "and that nice beach down there ... where I must have lost my sandals."
"We'll have to retrace our steps then ..." He looked so sexy with partially lowered lids, the mint shirt he wore faceting grays and blues in his sleepy eyes. "Maybe reenact ... would you like that?"
He lifted my arms over my head, a strong hand pinning me to the wall while he teased my lips with the tip of his tongue.
We'd come to know each other's bodies beneath the clothing we wore, and the precise targets that would elicit a groan, which I attempted to restrain when his hand ran across the front of my shirt, then tried to slip between my thighs.
"You know I would, but baby," I breathed into his ear, "not here." My knees were locked tightly together.
"Why so tense," he whispered. "They should all be downstairs by now. This is a house of early risers."
"How long have you been up, anyway?" I noticed he looked well rested, wondering how he managed to look so handsome with so little sleep.
"Since about seven." His breath minty, he blew a stray lock of hair from my forehead.
"We didn't get to bed till almost five. Don't you sleep?" I ran my fingers around his collar, down the buttons of his shirt.
"I told you. I don't need much ... just short naps ... and you." His lips played with mine.
As much as I didn't want to, I squirmed. "To be honest, I'm not comfortable here."
He angled his head. "You're trembling ..."
"I just need a cup of coffee ... maybe some breakfast?" Smiling, I squinted up at him.
I didn't mention that part of the reason my body pulsed was because half of my mind was waiting for his mother's footsteps on the stairs, or even worse, Vanessa's. The thought then struck. Where was she? I braced for her intrusion, her creepy, smirking glance.
"I'm sorry, honey. I can understand how you feel." He ran his tongue along my throat. "I'll have to sneak you into the E.R. one of these nights. We've got these great padded examining tables." He sucked my neck so hard, I swore he was drawing blood. Did the hospital have that effect on him? If so, I definitely needed to be admitted.
"Maybe I'll pay you a visit ... when you're on duty ... and it's dark ... and sexy." I nibbled his bottom lip, moving to his neck.
"I'll be sure to text you when a room is free." His throat vibrated beneath my lips.
"Don't tempt me." I giggled. "I might just turn up in admitting."
"I wish you would." His fingers kneaded my ribcage.
I screeched, but his mouth silenced mine. Right after I moaned as loud as I had the night before, I heard a door creak open and wallop shut. I instinctively jumped from Indigo's embrace, in time to face the source of the slamming door. Vanessa brushed by us, nose in the air, eyes focused straight ahead.
"Hey, Ness," said Indigo. "Get a good night's sleep?"
"Just fine." Her words were clipped. "And you?" She paused, faced us, shot him a bogus grin. When her lime green gaze shifted to me, she looked demonic. Her demeanor sent a chill down my spine. Did she really hate me that much?
If Indigo noticed, he didn't mention it. In silence, we followed her down the stairs.
Someone had cooked up a breakfast fit for a king, and we all gathered around the banquet table in the formal dining room where we were served. Apparently the caterers hadn't yet left ...
We spent the day touring the Atlantic on Indigo's boat. Derek blasted a portable radio, and we all drank the beer we'd stocked in coolers. The girls and I had packed leftover party goodies, so we snacked, enjoyed the sun, now and then dipping our hands and feet over the side of the boat into the water.
Around us gulls swarmed, ducking into the waves for fish, or the bread we tossed overboard. Derek caught the first buzz and dove in, yelling, "Roast bird for dinner."
"That's disgusting, Derek," said Emma with a grimace while she held out spoonfuls of mousse to Bill who lounged on a padded bench at the stern, dangling a leg over the side.
"Derek, get your brown ass back into this boat," Yvonne yelled, turning to me with frustration. "I don't know what's wrong with that man. He's got a career in his sights, and he's being stupid with the fish. Suppose he drowns?"
We all laughed at the fuss she was making, but when she panicked and started screaming, "Shark!" Indigo threw Derek a life preserver and against his will, we dragged him back onboard.
Pete and Casey brought a deck of cards, and became caught up in a poker marathon. As if the only ones on the boat, they ignored the rioting taking place around them, even when Yvonne and Derek's dancing threatened to overturn it.
“I just know the summer is gonna be over in the blink of an eye,” I comp
lained to Indigo.
“Yeah, but look at it this way, honey. By August, you’ll have a spot in the academy, and I’ll be starting my residency. Aren’t you excited?”
“Of course I am. But our time is gonna be so limited.”
"We have a lot of good times ahead of us. Patience, my little tamale." He kissed my pout. “I can see it now. I’ll be patching up the criminals you arrest and send to the E.R. before they even get a chance to see the inside of a jail cell.”
“They’ll need a lot of patching up after I get through with them.” I laughed.
For as hard as we tried to stop time, the day flew. After paying respects to his mother, we all left the main house, ready to amble down the driveway, sad to be leaving, but anxious to get home.
"Thank you so much. I had a wonderful time," I said to Indigo as I gathered my belongings, taking a last look around the barn. "I can't believe the weekend's over. It's so hard to say goodbye," I complained as we walked out the same door we'd entered only twenty-four hours earlier. On our way down the driveway he carried my backpack in one arm, the other was around me.
He fell out of step, walking backward, shushing me with a finger on my lips. "I'm coming back to the city with you." His smile filled my stomach with butterflies.
"On the bus?" I thought I'd explode with joy.
"Right next to you." He nuzzled the front of my throat, which almost seized beneath his moist mouth. "How could I go home without me?"
"What about the Wrangler?"
"It's home in Manhattan. I hitched a ride out here with friends."
I was thrilled. I threw my arms around his neck. We'd soon be back on friendly turf, and all would be well once more. I wanted to tuck the Hamptons into the back of my mind: remembering the beach, forgetting Elizabeth and Vanessa. Theirs was a world I wasn't a part of ... with no desire to be.
Before we made it to the end of the driveway, to where our taxis filled the pristine street with fumes, two distinct voices rang out. In my peripheral, I glimpsed the shrew and her disciple.
"James ... Where are you going?" Elizabeth's words flew through the air like a flock of squawking birds.
"Home to Manhattan. I'll call you during the week." He tossed a wave into the air, his head barely turning as we continued our stride, somewhat faster after his mother's voice broke the calm.
"Jim Jim," Vanessa nasalized, "you mother's car absolutely has to be in Briar Ridge by tomorrow for service. You were supposed to drive it back after the weekend. Have you forgotten?"
"Christ ..." I'd never heard Indigo sound so annoyed. He stopped and spun. "You can't drive the car to Westchester, Ness?"
"I don't drive standard," was her whiny reply.
"How did you get here, anyway?" He lashed out at her.
"I drove out with your parents." At first she looked stunned, then became defensive. "My car is at the house." Her eyes blinked furiously, then she seemed to gain control. "I'll take you back to Manhattan tonight ... unless it's late and you want to spend the night in Westchester with me, which would be nice."
Why was she addressing Indigo but looking straight at me? My stomach churned.
"I'm not an errand boy for you, Vanessa," he jerked his hands in the air, then shot a defiant look at his mother, "or for this family. You think nothing of inconveniencing anyone."
"Jim Jim," Vanessa's face flushed, "what's wrong with you? I've never seen you act this way before." She looked daggers at me.
"James," Elizabeth interceded, "I can't leave tonight." With narrowing eyes she threatened, "You have obligations, and I'm about to tell your guests exactly what they are."
The exasperation in Indigo's eyes subsided when he turned them on me. "I'm sorry, Jewel." He shook his head. "I guess I did promise ..." He let out a sigh of defeat. "They're helpless ..."
I wanted to throw myself at both of the bitches, scream at the top of my lungs to let Indigo live his own life. I wondered why he caved, then assumed he had his reasons. "It's okay, Jimmy. Text me when you can. I don't want to miss the charter. The others are already in the cabs," I pitched my head toward the exhaust fumes that were burning my throat, "I better run." I absolutely had to get out of there or Lord knows what might have spewed from my mouth.
The brilliant sun heated my face, giving me reason to pull my sunglasses down, cover the disappointment pooling in my eyes.
Instead of meeting us halfway, Elizabeth stood her ground and insisted on screaming, "Derek. I'll phone you when the ensemble is ready for fitting."
"I've got your number too, Mrs. Ballou," his reply was obedient, and loud.
"You'll have to drop whatever you're doing when I call. You understand, correct?"
"I'll be there, ma'am, at the drop of a hat," he replied.
"Does this mean another trip out here?" I asked Indigo before climbing into the taxi. The thought weighed heavy on my mind. For as lovely as the home was, the atmosphere was depressing. No wonder Indigo preferred his apartment in Manhattan. No wonder Indigo had his brooding moments.
While he worked his jaw, his face became wrought with frustration. "I doubt it. The show's on Fifth Avenue. They'll more than likely get together at the house in Briar Ridge." When he said, the house, it told me a lot about his childhood, and his adult emotions.
We shared a discreet kiss. Waiting for me to settle in, he shut the door.
You should be sitting beside me ... my mind cried.
An awkward barrier stood between us. I held up a hand as the taxi pulled away. As he waved goodbye, Indigo's face looked worn, watching our departure like an abandoned soul, unsure of which side of the road he belonged on. I knew he was struggling with something monumental, and suddenly his struggle became mine.
On the drive back to the charter, the beauty of the night was invaded by thoughts of Vanessa and Indigo driving to Westchester, the possibility of him staying the night. My jaw clamped shut. I was inconsolable on the ride home.
BREAKING THE TIES THAT BOUND ME
"Shrink me," I said to Emma, who sat beside me on the bus, a comforting arm around my shoulders.
Stiff back, turning in the seat, she stared, but didn't speak.
"I'm freaking," I lamented, "I don't think this is gonna work out." Looking out the window, watching gliding sailboats and diving gulls, I sighed, unable to believe my own words."Let me rephrase that ... it's not working." I fixated on the night we'd spent on the beach and was filled with overwhelming love, agonizing emptiness. I thought I'd convulse with disappointment, loneliness, frustration.
Emma's face was sympathetic. "Jewel. I'm usually never at a loss for words," she frowned, "but this time, I just don't know what to say. Your relationship with Indigo seems to be turning into a bad soap opera."
"Crap, Emma. I thought you'd console me. What's up with the sudden negativity?"
"Hun," she rested her head against mine, "from the outside looking in, he's got you on a roller coaster, not to mention a leash. This isn't you, Jewel." She plucked strands of hair from my lashes. "You're up, you're down, and I can't stand watching you suffer this way. Indigo's a great guy and all, but unless you can take the bumpy ride, maybe you should just hop off the train."
"Oh my God, Em. I can't believe you're talking like this. Are you serious?" My eyes bore into hers. "Is this a test, or a new way to shrink me? Slap me to my senses or something?"
"How much does he mean to you?"
"Everything."
"Is he worth the pain?"
I didn't have to think about the question. My eyes watered. "Yes ..."
"Well, that's your answer then. I opened the door ... you just walked through."
I stared at Em with amazement. "Damn, you're good."
But, things didn't turn out as planned. Indigo didn't return to Manhattan that night, or contact me for over a week. A week of pure hell. Emma finally talked me into texting him, to see if something was wrong.
"Maybe he's had an accident," she said, scaring the hell out of me.
So, I
texted him. Nada. I heard nothing from him until the following Tuesday, when I read his reply: Hey. Sorry I haven't called. Still at Hamptons. Family crisis. Contact U soon.
"Contact me soon? What is he replying to my job application or something?" My head rolled in my hands.
After reading his text, I over-plucked my eyebrows! I had to get them out of my system: One for Vanessa ... One for Indigo, and so on and so forth. Before I knew it, I looked like a brunette Pamela Anderson ... just the brows.
"He forced my hand," I told Em. After exiting the bathroom, my voice was unbelievably calm. "He leaves me no choice. I'm done."
"I'm sorry, Jewel."
"It's fine," I lifted my chin, refusing to break down, "got my test score ... and my academy date. I start the first week of August."
"When did you find out?"
"The other day."
Her face sagged with guilt. "Sorry I haven't been around much. Bill and I ..." She threw her arms around me. She was sniffling.
"Hey you, don't worry about it," I scrunched my mouth into my own version of the duck face that never failed to bring a smile. "I'm fine. The weight of the world is off my shoulders," my eyes narrowed, "let the bitch have him. Obviously, he realized I'd never fit inside their circle." Between words, I gulped air. "Who'd want to, anyway? Right?"
"Does Pete know about the academy?"
I nodded.
"That explains it."
"Huh?"
"Seems we're going to Maine." She turned her pure white smile on me.
I laughed. "You know, he's been bugging me to go to his family's place. I guess my misery is the perfect excuse, huh?"
"Oh, hun. Things will get better." She hugged me, then her compassion turned secretive. "Don't tell him I told you. He wants to spring it on you himself."
Pete congratulated me in person for placing high on the list for the academy, saying he knew I had it in me, and by the next weekend, we'd be, "Cutting loose with the moose."
Head Over Wheels (Spicy Young Romance) Page 27
